Date: Sun, 15 May 2011 18:39:19 -0700 (PDT)
From: jim ford
Subject: Gordy comes Home chapter 13
This story is fiction. The characters are adults in adult situations.
Warnings: The only person you can ever hope to truly know is yourself.
Trust no one; use condoms. If you are not of legal age or in a jurisdiction
in which this document is illegal, go way. This is my story. Please respect
the copyright. Sojourn1950@yahoo.com
Linda had arranged everything. Including a two week honeymoon cruise to
Alaska. They seldom left their room. The exceptions were two helicopter
tours; one to visit a glacier and another to view wildlife. John missed
Texas and well... others.
As John had told his father, they made their home at the ranch, for almost
a month. Until Linda announced she had found the perfect place.
John and Linda bought a house on the lake. The house sat on seven wooded
acres with a deck that reached the width of the house and extended over the
lake. It was new and Linda assured John and his Dad that only the "best
people" were buying there.
John's dad responded with, "I don't know any `best people', I only know
people." She choose to ignore the comment.
The house had a great room, the open area featured a sizable kitchen,
dining area and spacious living room area. A hall led to four bedrooms.
The master bedroom had spacious closets, a bathroom with a sunken Jacuzzi
tub (big enough for four) and an equally spacious shower.
Linda stated the "boathouse" would eventually be their weekend getaway.
John did not appreciate the inference that when his father died, they would
move back to the bigger ranch house.
Linda did at least listen to his input on furnishing and remodeling etc.
They bought a powerful speedboat and installed a floating dry dock along
one end of the deck.
John's father was not a frequent visitor, even before his health failed.
Seems Linda was prescient.
John spent more and more time at the ranch. Linda spent her time in
Hollywood. At first she stayed with Mary Anne and family. Soon she found
other accommodations. John never asked. Her visits to Hollywood became more
frequent and lasted longer.
As his father weakened John seemed to gravitate more toward Wylie. His pain
was almost forgotten. His overwhelming concern was for his father. Prostate
cancer had metastasized. Even before it had been diagnosed. Throughout the
years, John cursed his father's stubborn refusal to get regular medical
check ups.
He defended himself by saying his best friend was "Doc". John in a moment
of anger retorted, "And I suppose he checked your prostate frequently."
They both blushed at the implication. John would remember that was the only
time he could recall seeing his father blush. The fact that they had both
blushed, cemented the memory.
Wylie spent more and more time at the ranch. Even when Mary Anne stayed
home.
Linda's frequent and prolonged absences were barely noticed. They were
almost never mentioned. There were times when Mary Anne seemed surprised
that her once good friend was in town and had not called. She never tried
to defend or cover up for Linda. More than once she expressed anger for
what she saw as "abandoning her family". After all Mary Anne, was part of
the family.
John was grateful to Mary Anne. She came often with her husband. She called
almost as often as Wylie. When she could; she came. Every visit, just as
Wylie's, focused on John's father.
Mr. Grant loved the attention, but resented the imposition his condition
forced upon everyone.
Bradley's, now "B J's" presence was a like a balm to John's father.
Sometimes he was the only one who could drag John away from his father's
side. "Horsey" had been one of his first words and it meant he wanted a
ride "now". As he grew so did his fondness for horses. John loved the
little fellow. He looked like a miniature Wylie. Those same green eyes
would darken if he didn't get his way. John laughed every time he saw
that. BJ's eyes seldom grew dark if his uncle John was around. He called
Mr. Grant, "Grappa." Each time he did a smile creased the now haggard
face. Wylie's presence was always appreciated. It was greeted with greater
enthusiasm, if BJ was in tow. Wylie understood.
As for John and Wylie, together? The pain at watching "their" father die,
drew them closer. This emotional closeness lead to physical closeness.
There were times when sexual tension made it hard to breathe for either
man. Their sincere attempts to hide it, were, for the most part successful.
Sometimes, a touch lingered too long. Or a tender smile would hold the
other's gaze too long. In every case it was John who withdrew. Some wounds
never heal.
Hospice was called. The hospice nurse had just left when Linda arrived.
John asked, "Why didn't you call. Someone would have met you at the
airport." He suddenly realized she had no luggage.
"John, we need to talk." She lead John into the library. "John, I met
someone. I didn't mean for it too happen. It just did. He has asked me to
marry him. I've already got a local attorney and filed for a "no-fault"
divorce. I have papers for you to sign. I am not asking for anything. Just
to be free to marry him."
John was stunned. He said nothing. He held out his hands for the papers. "I
will get my attorney to look these over and get them back to you. I take it
there is an address?"
"Yes."
With that she handed him the papers and turned to leave.
He watched her go. When emotions finally surfaced he felt only relief. The
next thought was that his father would be pleased. With a smile he thought,
"Conchatta may get news that will lift her out of her funk."
He felt only relief.
There was no question about whether John' father would spend his last days
at home. As he weakened, John had to ask Louis to tell the hands to stop
visiting. His dad enjoyed the visits but they sapped his strength. The only
visitor that seemed to revitalize him, other than BJ, was Doc. More than
once John saw the man leave with tear filled eyes.
John knew little about his father's best friend. The time they were
together seemed to be when they traveled. John was vaguely aware the Doc
had a family. He had met Miss Mary many times. John knew they had one
son. Doc was never at the ranch, on a social call, and John in turn had
never been taken to their ranch. Still, Doc was his father's admitted,
"best friend". The emotions both his father and Doc exhibited after each of
Doc's visits confirmed the fact.
When John told his father of the divorce, his father patted his hand and
said, "Next time son, make sure it's someone you love." Conchatta simply
snorted as if to say, "Good riddance." She then proceeded to cook a
feast. Even John's father ate more than a little.
"Mary Anne simply hugged John and said, "She didn't deserve you."
Wyle was hesitant. He seemed to think a while, then, "How do you feel about
it, John?" John seemed to be hard pressed to answer. Wylie wrapped his arms
around and held him for a long time. When he broke the embrace he said, "If
you need to talk, I'm here."
Here? John realized that Wylie, Mary Anne and BJ had been "here" all
along. Almost since the first hospitalization. They had been sitting with
John and Conchatta when the Hospice nurse gave her spiel. When was the last
time they weren't "here"? John couldn't remember.
The end came early one morning. John had fallen asleep in a chair beside
his father's bed. Wylie came in to check. John awoke to feel a hand rest
lightly on his shoulder. "I checked your room. How's he doing?"
John fully awake listened. He got up and approached the bed. His fathers
eyes were closed but his mouth was opened. His flesh was gray and cold to
the touch. He had known the moment he realized he no longer heard the
rasping that, lately, had accompanied his father's breathing. Still he had
hoped. Hoped for what? Another day. A day filled with either pain or
drugged unconsciousness. Another day of just having him here. It was guilt,
as much as the sense of loss, that brought the tears. He wanted his father
with him in any condition. The tears were blinding him when he turned to
Wylie.
He found Wylie, silently crying, beside him. He pulled Wylie to him and
hugged him. He laid his head in the crook of Wylie's neck and cried.
Without restraint. Without remorse. With an emptiness so complete, it was
overwhelming. He cried.
Had anyone come in, they would be hard pressed to tell who was comforting
whom. They were both sobbing. Clinging to each other. Both trying to fill
the vacuum this man's passing had left in their lives. A vacuum too vast
and too new to fill. It could only be acknowledged.
Mary Anne was a pillar for both men. Conchatta's children came to help.
Their mother worked as always. Only occasionally did she wipe away tears or
suddenly disappear into the bathroom. It seemed to John his father's
passing laid a pall upon the ranch and the dealership and his life.
Joe Don and Sally came to the ranch to help out. Joe Don comforted both
young men. He would have them laughing more than either wanted. Joe Don
never let his grief show beyond an occasional look of sadness. The boys
needed him.
Wylie was beside John in making the plans and arrangements. His gravesite
would be in the family plot. He would be part of the fifth generation,
buried there, alongside John`s mother.
The service was simple. Most folks had paid their respects at the funeral
home. The eulogies were delivered first by John and then by Wylie. Mary
Anne had sat with them behind the podium. When Wylie choked up she quietly
passed a sleeping BJ to John and stepped forward to take her husband's
hand. Wylie composed himself and was able to complete his tribute to his
father. Mr. Grant would have been proud of both sons.
No one moved out of the house for a week after the funeral. Joe Don and
Sally took alternating days off from the dealership. One was constantly at
the ranch.
Mary Anne stayed a week and told John her Mom and Dad gave her an
ultimatum. Come home: Send BJ home: Or make room for them. Mary Anne opted
to go home with BJ. Wylie stayed another two weeks. It wasn't until Mary
Anne and BJ came back to spend the weekend that Wylie went home.
John became engrossed in running the ranch and the dealership. He became
involved to the point that Joe Don threatened to whip his ass; almost on a
daily basis. After three months he came into John's office and said,
"Alright Johnnie boy. I have had it. You're coming with me."
John argued that he had paperwork and a sales appointment coming in.
Joe Don took him by the arm and lifted him out of his chair. He half lead
John to the sales lot and deposited him in the passenger seat of Joe Don's
company Tahoe.
"Fasten your seatbelt sonny. It's going to be a bumpy ride."
"Geez, I think you should be shot for even thinking about imitating Bette
Davis. Come to think of it. Don't you keep a gun in here." When he opened
the glove box, Joe Don reached over and slammed it shut. Had John not
jerked his fingers back, he might have lost a couple.
"My Bette Davis got rave reviews when I did a skit in training camp. I got
a standing ovation and two proposals of marriage. One was your Dad and you
know what a critic he was."
John laughed at the thought of this giant of a man imitating a petite
lady. "Yeah, it was probably a scene from "whatever happened to baby Jane'
and Dad was drunk on his ass." John realized that talking about his dad had
gotten easier. The memories were comforting and pleasant.
"Yeah, well, your right on both counts. But I was a hit."
"Where are you taking me? I really have work to do. I`m not really hungry."
"John, you've been working too hard. Conchatta packed a bag. Sally picked
it up. My job is to put you on a plane and Wylie will pick you up at the
airport."
"We don't want to see your sorry ass back here for two weeks. Tanned and
ready to work. You need the rest. When you get back you are going to have
more work than you know."
John found Joe Don not forthcoming with any more pertinent information. Any
other topic was ok. Just nothing about the "more work than you
know". Feeling the victim of a conspiracy he wondered what he had done that
made `everyone' think he needed time away. Still, during the flight he
realized he needed this, needed to see BJ, Mary Anne and Wylie.
The time in Hollywood was indeed a breath of fresh air. John got a call
each day from Joe Don and Louis. The calls were made to assure him he was
not needed and had no excuse to cut the time short.
John was back three days. He felt more composed, relaxed and more at peace
than he could ever remember. He had expressed his appreciation to his
friends with gifts from Hollywood. Joe Don's had been an autographed
picture of Bette Davis, as "Baby Jane". Sally knew in an instant the reason
for the gift photo. She laughed her ass off.
The afternoon of the third day was winding down when Joe Don walked into
John's office. "Johnnie boy, your looking better than I have seen you in a
long time. I know your dad's passing was rough on you. It was rough on
everyone that loved him. I'm proud of the way you to stepped in and took
over. You've done a great job. I know you'll run this place just like your
dad did. Everybody here loves you." John was confused about the whole
conversation. It was not the usual "daily, business discussion".
"Joe Don? What are you trying to say?"
"John, before you're dad got sick, Sally and I had planned to retire. We
put it off when, well. Look, you don't need me like you used to. I mean you
know, you're the closest I ever got to having a son. It always made feel
good to be part of your lives, you and your dad. But, John, things are
different now."That was the first Joe Don had ever called him John. It
staggered John for a moment, before he could catch up.
"Me and John, we talked a lot about you and Wylie. He had planned" Joe Don
paused a moment as if he`d lost his train of thought. He continued, "Well,
he was so proud of how you adjusted... took it all in stride. I think that
he finally began to see you as a man. Maybe for the first time. You didn't
let heartbreak destroy you. He; and I were so proud of you. Still are, I am
sure. "
"John, me and Sally we want to enjoy our time." With that, there was a
catch in his voice and his eyes had moistened."
Clearing his throat, he continued. "John, Sally and me will be leaving for
Mexico in two weeks. We have a nice house on the coast and you know that
for the last few years we spent a lot of time there."
"She's already trained Suzy, to take her place. Me, I never did enough to
think about a replacement. You can handle this whole operation by
yourself. I know your dad and I had hoped... well, The point is you can run
the place until you realize, you don't have to. We'll be leaving in two
weeks. Till then, I intend to make myself scarce. I'll still be available,
so you won't be too overwhelmed. If you find you have to rely on me. Well,
we can put it off, but John, as much as I love you, it's time for me to
go."
Joe Don's eyes moistened again. The big man simply walked out the door
leaving John with a shocked expression. Joe Don had been a constant in his
life as much as the ranch and the dealership. Hell, Joe Don was er, had
been the dealership.
John stared blankly out the window for a long time. He didn't like change,
not really. Losing Joe Don was like losing his father all over again.
A soft touch jerked him from his reverie. Sally looked into his eyes a long
time. Softly, she almost whispered, "What did you do to make Big Joe cry?"
As his eyes began to focus and before he could respond, she continued, "He
told you didn't he? Again not waiting for an answer. "He knew it would be
hard on you. The big idiot didn't even consider the fact it would be harder
on him. He'd been so worried about how you would react." She chuckled, "He
is in his bathroom, bawling like a new born calf."
All this time she had been standing beside his chair, gently rubbing the
flat of her hand between his shoulders. John was still inside trying to
adjust to losing Joe Don.
"You know, you're not loosing him. Not like your dad. Joe Don will be in
your life for years to come. I'll see to that. John, I'm not taking him
away from you. It is something that we both need. Something you
need. Someday you may understand how he felt about your dad. He loved him
so much. It was hard at first for him to make room in his heart for
me. But, I wormed my way in. Now with your dad gone. Well, he needs to move
on and so do you."
"John, I don't think I have to tell you how much you and your dad, mean to
us. Joe Don could never find the words to tell either of you how he
felt. It still goes too deep. He never had a loving family nor a family he
could love, until your dad and you."
"Now, we have each other. You know; If you needed us, we would be here, but
you don't right now. It really is time to move on."
"Now, I'm going to take the big crybaby home and he'll be fine. We'll take
tomorrow off and maybe stay at the boathouse. Would that be ok? You come to
dinner tomorrow night and you two can laugh and cry together. I think you
both need it, just a little."
John stood up. He knew he had to let her go. He walked her to his door, a
arm across her shoulder; her arm around his waist. It wasn't until after
she left that he realized he had not said a word.
He had called Wylie that night. Seems Mary Anne and Wylie already
knew. Conchatta had fixed dinner which just happened to focus on John's
favorite dishes. She and Louis were always eating dinner with John. At
least for a while now... since...
John didn't bother chiding anyone for not telling him about Joe Don's
plans. It would not have made it easier.
The dinner with Joe Don and Sally was more fun than he had expected. They
talked and laughed late into the night. Sitting on the deck, remembering
old times. It was never really tearful. Even when they said good
night. They all spent the night at the boathouse and Sally had a full
breakfast ready when John was ready to go to the dealership. Joe Don gave
him a few pointers as he was leaving. A big hug from both and he felt
almost like a kid leaving for his first day at school.
"Their gone!"
His initial response was about to be, "Of course! They have been gone two
weeks."
It was almost three a.m., when John groggily answered his phone. Wylie was
drunk. John wasn't sure of anything except that initial statement. The rest
of the conversation consisted of blubbering, sobbing interspersed with,
"why'd she do it?" and "I love you, John." Finally, John convinced Wylie to
hang up the phone and get some sleep, assuring him they would, "talk in the
morning."
Morning turned into early afternoon when Wylie found himself confronted by
John, proffering coffee and aspirin.
John had taken the next available flight. Arriving in L.A., he had tracked
down Mary Anne. Tough job. She was at her mother`s. They had met for lunch
and Mary Anne was friendly. She seemed calm and determined. Over a Cobb
salad she asked, "John did you and Wylie have an affair, in college?
John was shocked at the question. He tried to pass it off, "Mary Anne, I
have always had the utmost respect for you. You know very well that Wylie
and I are best friends. I can't sit here and allow you to besmirch my
character and that of Wylie's. You know he loves you. He was devastated
when you left." John realized his stilted, overly dramatic retort was
wasted on Mary Anne.
He blushed.
"Relax John. This is Hollywood. I walked in on my father getting a blow job
from an academy award winner ... for best actor. I am not trying to entrap
you. I already told you about my brother. I have more money that Wylie will
ever have. If Wylie were less of a man, he would ask for and I'd give him
alimony. We both know he would never do that. I am not interested in
punishing Wylie. I got pregnant because I loved him. I knew he didn't love
me. Wylie is a good and honorable man. A rarity at the best of times. In
L.A.it's an impossibility. I know that he loves you more than he could ever
love any woman. He's a great father. If Wylie is upset, it's because he is
afraid I won't let him see B.J. he`s wrong. That boy worships him and he
tells his friends he has a real live cowboy uncle."
"John, I don't love Wylie. Not like I did. Maybe I never really did."
"There may be a man out there, that I can love and that will love me. No,
John I have never cheated on Wylie. I am confident that he has never
cheated on me. John, in spite of evidence to the contrary, I have some
integrity. Enough so I can at least appreciate it when I see it. Especially
in a handsome cowboy and his "best friend"." Maybe it was flattery, but
John believed the woman.
That afternoon, John told Wylie, "Mary Anne and BJ are at her mothers and
she will be filing for divorce." Wylie didn't ask why, he just looked
away. John continued, "She isn't angry, she just wants a fresh start, with
a man she doesn't have to trick into marriage, by pinching a hole in a
condom."
At that last comment, Wylie's eyes searched John's, after a moment he
abandoned the search.
When John told him about 'joint custody' Wylie seemed literally
"re-animated". He wanted to know when he could see BJ. John called Mary
Anne and eventually she talked to Wylie. John made busy packing his
overnight bag, which had yet to be unpacked.
Mary Anne told Wylie she wanted him out of the house ASAP. She wanted him
to come over that evening and they would explain to BJ that they both loved
him. But Daddy would be living somewhere else. Wylie drove over and
afterward called John and they met for dinner.
Neither had more than two drinks. That night John slept in his usual
bed. He put a chair against the door, before going to bed. Cussing himself
silently he moved the chair before falling asleep. He found himself
vacillating between hope and anger that Wylie might come in expecting
sex. When he finally slept, it went undisturbed.
John asked Wylie to come back to the ranch to let things settle. If he
wanted, he could work with John. Wylie became even more excited at the
prospect of leaving Hollywood. John was saddened at how unhappy his friend
had been "living the dream". (for you Jeff)
It didn't take long for Wylie to come into his own at the ranch and the
dealership. John's life became much easier. The stress he had felt taking
care of the ranch, the dealership and other investments seem to vanish when
Wylie moved into Joe Don's position.
John missed him when Wylie went to visit BJ. When BJ came to visit his dad
and "Uncle". John thought he understood what a "full and rich life" really
meant.
Before long Wylie bought a house on the edge of town but still had his and
BJ's rooms at the ranch. Wylie was as likely to be found at the ranch as he
was at "his" place. Both men dated casually but neither seemed to be
looking for more. There were no more drunken nights of half remembered half
forgotten revelry: John missed those. So did Wylie.
Then Gordy Belser came to work at the dealership.
Two chapters in a row with no sex... Hmmm. Thanks for the nice
comments. It's great to hear your thoughts about John and Wylie's story. I
answer all emails positive and negative.
While much of this is connected to my experiences I am not one of these
characters. So if you email me don't delude yourself in thinking you are
emailing John or Wylie... that makes me nervous. I do appreciate the
feedback. Let me know what you think. Next posting introduces the long
awaited Gordy... I am sure some of you were beginning to believe he would
never show up. LOL. Keep those cards and letters coming. I would really
like to hear speculation concerning Gordy... is he important or easily
dismissed?